7

(oh so close)

Seven days to go to the trip to Goa for the $1m Asian Poker Classic and I have still to be paid the expenses part of the freeroll prize I won in December.

I have spent money on visas, insurance, airport parking, flights, hotels for the extra nights we are there (going for 7 days rather than 4) and malaria tablets - so we are definitely going whatever happens !

The four nights in the main hotel is about half of the total expenses so the balance will not cover everything else anyway. I reckon we'll be paying for one flight and all meals other than breakfast out of our own pocket, so still not bad for a week in India with the chance of winning a few hundred thousand dollars.

Before then it is a much needed bit of live practice in the APAT tournament in Cardiff this weekend, which I am looking forward to and hope to make day two unlike last time !

88

Played the weekly V-Points MTT on Virgin which is not a tournament I have done well in in the past.

Tonight I had to fold 88 three times after the flop contained 3 overcards each time. I got lucky with runner runner clubs to give me a flush with A4 to nearly double my starting stack - although it dented the BB who had called my 4x raise with 9 10 offsuit (and proceeded to bet with a 9 on the flop) so I think justice was done ! But then I lost the best part of my chips with K 10 and a board of 10 8 x 8 10 - beaten by 88 !

AJs v AKos a few hands later - no help for either on the board - and it was all over.

Now just have to work out how the next post can be titled '8' ........

888

Been a quiet couple of weeks. Both can be summarised as significant (for me) losses over one night and spending the rest of the week getting them back, to be level again at the end of the week.

Last night started with the same sort of feel as I made an early exit from a Prima wide MTT being shown on Sky's Poker Night Live. I thought the night wasn't going to go my way when I folded my very first hand of 89 hearts (having told myself I would start by playing premium hands only) and the flop came 888 ! One player made a full house so I think all his chips would have been mine.

The only other game I played last night was the weekly Premier League of Poker on Betfred which goes on until May and has monthly prizes in addition to the weekly shareout. I finished second in this a couple of weeks ago and repeated the feat last night. I think I played well, perhaps overplayed a few hands but in general no-one called so was safely in the top 6 from fairly early on. Also managed to take out the current league leader (the guy who beats me heads up a fortnight ago) so I should now be in the top 6 overall.

Going into the final 4 last night it was fairly even - three of us on 50k approx and one on just under 40k - but suddenly we were down to two as my opponent took out both the others in one hand and he had 3 times more chips than me. Took a chance with Q 10 to be faced with JJ and it was all over.

Rest of the time has been trying to organise Goa which is now less than a month away and signing up for the next APAT live tournament in Cardiff as practice !